James May's Cars of the People
Discussion
Zad said:
The entire programme just showed how Top Gear could and should have been. Yes it could have been tighter, but without the silly childish t
ttishness that Top Gear had become, it was a pleasure to watch.
That "silly tttishness that Top Gear had become, it was a pleasure to watch. ttishness" is what pulled in the viewers though. If every episode of Top Gear was like James May's Cars of the People it would have ended up on BBC3 or, worse, Channel 5 and then Quest, like another well-known car show which mentions the position on a gearbox. Sad fact is that it has far less Mass Appeal and only really appeals to anoraks like us.
Watching the show tonight, and celebrating my dad's 35+ years love of 4WD. Jeep Cherokee, several Land Rovers, Porsche 964 C4, Subaru GLF, Subaru (what the Legacy was borne from), one of the first Prodrive Imprezas in 1995, Impreza STi v4 JDM grey import and then Audi RS4 B7 in 2005.
RS4 still owned but not for much longer. I fear his 4WD saga may end here unless he buys the Golf R or the hybrid RAV4 that he (bizarrely) fancies.
Still, quite the story / litany.
RS4 still owned but not for much longer. I fear his 4WD saga may end here unless he buys the Golf R or the hybrid RAV4 that he (bizarrely) fancies.
Still, quite the story / litany.
Zad said:
The entire programme just showed how Top Gear could and should have been. Yes it could have been tighter, but without the silly childish tttishness that Top Gear had become, it was a pleasure to watch.
When I heard that Quattro though, I actually got goosebumps on my arms. The LWB Ur wasn't the best rally car by a long mark, but I still think it looks the best. Vaguely disappointed that they didn't have the XR4x4 on from a previous series though. It matched the remit for a peoples' 4x4.
Why couldn't Top Gear be Top Gear as it was? That's why it was successful. It didn't stop programs like this being made.ttishness that Top Gear had become, it was a pleasure to watch.When I heard that Quattro though, I actually got goosebumps on my arms. The LWB Ur wasn't the best rally car by a long mark, but I still think it looks the best. Vaguely disappointed that they didn't have the XR4x4 on from a previous series though. It matched the remit for a peoples' 4x4.
Personally I found it OK, and in some ways better than Top Gear. Do I think it would have worldwide success and run for 20+ years? No, not a chance.
Most people don't give a crap about the workings of a gearbox or the evolution of the Jeep.
98elise said:
Why couldn't Top Gear be Top Gear as it was? That's why it was successful. It didn't stop programs like this being made.
Personally I found it OK, and in some ways better than Top Gear. Do I think it would have worldwide success and run for 20+ years? No, not a chance.
Most people don't give a crap about the workings of a gearbox or the evolution of the Jeep.
well said,Personally I found it OK, and in some ways better than Top Gear. Do I think it would have worldwide success and run for 20+ years? No, not a chance.
Most people don't give a crap about the workings of a gearbox or the evolution of the Jeep.
there is a place for both these formats, as their was when TG was running.
same as there is a place for the odd Clarkson documentary, or Hamster fronted game show (well, maybe not!)
i think you may be due a Parrot. Really enjoyed that one last night.
Riley Blue said:
I thought last night's programme dragged a bit and each segment could have been pared down. That would have left time for a bit more info on the mechanics of each four-wheel drive system, something I would have appreciated but maybe that's just me...
I agree. I'd liked to have known a bit more of the oily bits' differences and instead of the totally unnecessary non-race perhaps a demonstration of 4wd against 2wd on dry/wet/gravel etc, plus stopping distances (a demo that TG did many years ago) when you drive a truck-like 'car'.But then again perhaps that's why I'm moaning in an office this morning in damp England, and not on set in the Mojave being feted by JLR...
i wonder how many actually heard and believed though.98elise said:
Why couldn't Top Gear be Top Gear as it was? That's why it was successful. It didn't stop programs like this being made.
Programmes like this? We haven't exactly been flooded with them have we.I'm not speaking for the masses of the TV viewing world, I'm speaking for myself, that's all. Not demanding they listen to me as the sole arbiter of reason. I would just have preferred 12 programmes like this every year instead of what we got in TG's final seasons. I don't want successful, I want good. Just like I don't want to drive a successful car (Toyota Corolla, VW Beetle or Ford F-series depending on which stat you prefer) I want a good one, I don't want to read a successful paper (The Sun, Daily Mail) I want to read a good one.
When I say like, I don't mean James May talking about a subject for an hour, but just more intelligent car related programmes aimed at adults, not 6 year olds. The BBC makes a big thing about how it doesn't have to please everyone, due to the speshul way it is funded. There is Sky, ITV, C4, C5, BT and, fortuitously, Amazon for all that. BBC4 would be fine for me, I can't imagine this series was exactly budget busting, although the BBC still seem to think it is popular enough to put on BBC1 at peak viewing time.
The fact that anybody over seven watched Warhorse, let alone hundreds of thousands of them , is proof, if any were needed, that popularity rarely lives on the same street as quality . The last thing I need is to meet any more knuckle draggers who think they know about cars or motor racing because they watch Top Gear and/or once went to a BTCC round with the ticket they'd won for being salesman of the month.
coppice said:
By whom ? It's a travesty of an absolutely brilliant stage play of the same name which deserved every plaudit . Most critics panned the film - and against my better judgement I still what to see it. WW1 lite for kids who like horses.
The film is still pretty good and powerful enough for my 8 year old daughter. It encouraged her to find out more about the war. Steve
coppice said:
By whom ? It's a travesty of an absolutely brilliant stage play of the same name which deserved every plaudit . Most critics panned the film - and against my better judgement I still what to see it. WW1 lite for kids who like horses.
By all the different awards peers who nominated it; Oscars, BAFTAs, AFI, Golden Globes, BMI, Critics award etc.Most critics loved it.
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